Apparatus for supplying fibrous materials to machines



July 12, 1960 H. KOCH 2,944,854

APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FIBROUS MATERIALS TO MACHINES Filed July 15, 1958 Sheets-Sheet 1 APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FIBROUS MATERIALS T0 MACHINES Filed July 15, 1958 H. KOCH July 12, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,944,854 APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FIBROUS MATERIALS TO MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. KOCH July 12, 1960 Filed July 15, 195&

United States atent G APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FIBROUS MATERIALS T MACHINES Hans Koch, Hambnrg -Rahlstedt, Germany, assignor to Haum-Werke Korber & Co. K.G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Filed July 15, 1958, Ser. No. 748,740 Claims priority, application Germany July 16, 1957 2 Claims. ('Cl. 302-17) The present invention relates to apparatus for supplying fibrous materials to machines and particularly to supplying cigarette machines with cut tobacco, and this particular case is dealt with hereinafter. When using a pneumatic or suction feed for the cut tobacco it is known to employ the change in pressure in the suction duct in the region of the cigarette machines upon changing over the duct to atmospheric pressure for cutting oil? the supply of'tobacco to the conveyor duct from the delivery table to the collector box or trunk of the cigarette machine. For this purpose it is known to provide feelers or detectors on the collector boxes of the cigarette machines which are moved by the tobacco on completion of the filling of the box and reverse a changeover blade through a switch for admitting additional air. Thereby a discharge flap of the collector box is opened and the tobacco falls into the opener of the cigarette machine and the personnel at the deliverytable are advised that no tobacco is then required.

During the break in the tobacco feed the feed duct remains filled with tobacco. This is undesirable since on reversing the change-over blade of the suction ducts, the tobacco remaining in the aforesaid ducts from. the previous supplying period is immediately drawn into the collector box of the cigarette machine and is thereby traversed continuously by the air stream so that it dries out and its condition is adversely affected unless care is taken that immediately on reversing the deflector blade the supply ducts to the collector boxes of the cigarette machines are again continuously supplied by the personnel at the supply table. This is not however often possible, either because often several machines require tobacco simultaneously or because the supply to other machines has not been 7 ice -Fig. 2 is a main circuit diagram of the electrical connections,

Fig. 3 is a side view and Fig. 4 a front view of the cutoff flap, partially in section and on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the collector box or screen, and

Fig. 6 is an electrical circuit diagram.

The suction feed equipment is shown in schematic form at 1 and is of known construction; it serves to produce suction in the suction pipe 2. A similar device is illustrated in U.S. Patent 2,812,217. A number of suction pipes indicated by 3, 3' on the drawings, branch off this pipe 2 towards the same number of cigarette machines, only the parts thereof associated with the suction pipe 3 being shown on the drawings at 5, together with the collector box 4.

A change-over blade 6 is provided in known manner in the suction pipe 3, by which the pipe 3 and the box 4 are brought to atmospheric pressure through the went openings 7. The tobacco feed duct 8 is connected to the box 4 at a point opposite to the pipeway 3, and leads to the V supply table 9.

' by, as is known, the change-over blade 6 is reversed to permit air to enter the collector box 4 through the vents 7 or to the duct 8 and the conventional discharge flap of the collector box 4 is opened in a Well known manner as shown in U.S. Patent 2,812,217. At the same time the personnel at the supply table receive a signal that completed. Even in the case of plants for automatically feeding cigarette machines with cut tobacco it is desirable that the amount of tobacco supplied by a feeder shall be delivered completely to the collector box or separator, i.e. the tobacco lying in the feed duct should be fed to the collector box concerned.

The invention therefore has for its object to hinder tobacco from remaining in the tobacco feed ducts leading to the collector boxes of the cigarette machines, by the fact that the change-over of the suction duct in the region of the cigarette machine is only eifected when the duct has been sucked empty, for example by means of an adjustable time-delay relay.

In the case of hand feeding by means of supply tables it is advantageous that the feed duct should be closed in the region thereof by means of a cut-off device, with simultaneous change-over of this section to admit air. The cut-off can be effected by means of a cut-off member, loaded by a spring or otherwise, connected in the feed duct in the region of the supply table and held in the open position by an electromagnet, solenoid or the like. connected electrically with a feeler or detector in the collector box of the cigarette machine.

One constructional example of the invention is shown diagrammatically on the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a general view of the supply equipment,

the supply to the duct 8 is to be stopped.

According to the invention a tube section 10 is interposed in the feed duct 8 in the region of the supply table 9, in which a cut-off element, for example a flap member 11 is mounted. This interposed section 10, shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 3 and 4, includes an electromagnet or solenoid or motor 14 connected electrically to the feeler switch device 12, 13. The flap 11 is under the influence of a tension spring 15 which tends to bring the flap to the position shown in Figure 4 when the solenoid or motor device 14 is not energised. In this position (Fig. 4) the air opening 22 is open and the 'valve flap 11 is brought into a position to admit air to the collection box. The method of operation of the device is as follows,

reference being directed to the switching diagrams of Figs. 2 and 6: Suction from the source 1 through pipe 2 and the branch pipe 3, 3' etc. concerned reaches one side of the collector box 4, and the suction is effective through a screen or sifter element in the said box so that tobacco can be conveyed through the duct 8 concerned from the supply table 9 and is collected from the suction stream by the action of the screen or sifter element usually employed in collector boxes of the type shown in US. Patent 2,812,217. Thus the lower part 4a (Fig. 5) of the collector box 4 is filled with tobacco from right to left through the feed duct 8 since the tobacco enters the collector box through the left side and is drawn toward the right side in a pile by reduced pressure in the collector box. The feeler or detector 12, is pivoted to the rigid wall of the box in the said lower part 4a thereof, and is pressed against the wall to which it is pivoted, when this part of the collector box is filled, and thereby the normally closed switch 13 is operated by this movement the circuit in Figure 6 is interrupted through the solenoid 14. The device 14 is immediately de-energised and the flap 11 is rotated by the spring 15 so that the interposed tube section 10 is closed atmosphere through the opening 22. The impulse produced by the switch 13 is fed to a delay-action relay 18 which operates an electromagnet 16 by means of a switch 17 only after a desired adjustable time delay. The electro-magnjet '16 rotates the control flap 19 arranged in the change-over blade system assembly 6 ,(Fig. so that it cuts oil the suction from the pipe 3. The control surfaces 20 and 21 located at right angles on the control fiap 19 uncover openings 7 whereby the collector box 4 and the pipe 3 are connected for auxiliary air entry and no further air can enter through the opening 22 into the interposed section ltl.

As shown on Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings the electromagnetic devices 14, 16 may be operated from an alternating current supply circuit through suitable rectifier means represented as bridge-type rectifiers, while the time delay relay may comprise a cam-operated switch, the cam itself being driven through suitable reduction gear from a suitable motor, the time taken for the rotation of the cam representing the selected time delay.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for feeding cut tobacco to a cigarette making machine comprising tobacco delivery means adjacent said machine, said means including a collector box having a closure biased by gravity to an open position and adapted to be closed by external atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure in said box, said collector box being adapted to receive tobacco from a supply point and periodically deliver it to the cigarette machine, duct means connecting said supply point to said box, a suction source connected to said collector box adapted to pneumatically convey material from said supply point through said duct means and to said collector'box, said suction source being adapted to maintain said collector box closure in its closed position, feeler means in said collector box to sense the level of tobacco collecting therein, flap valve means in said duct adjacent said supply point movable between two positions one of which is adapted to cover an opening in said duct and the other position being adapted to close the duct means in the direction of the supply point and open the other portion of said duct means in the direction of said collector box to the atmosphere, electrical means connecting said feeler means to said flap valve means so that when the tobacco in said collector box reaches a predetermined level said fiap valve means will be moved to a position to uncover said opening in said duct and permit air flow through that portion of the duct between the valve means and said collector box, but will interrupt the flow of tobacco material from said supply source, a delay mechanism adapted to be operated by said feeler means, and valve means between said suction source and said collector box operably connected to said delay means and adapted to be operated a predetermined time interval after the operation of said flap valve means to permit the pressure in said collector box to reach atmospheric pressure and permit said closure to open and deliver tobacco to said machine after tobacco materialin transit in said duct from the supply point has reached said box. 1

2. In an apparatus for feeding cut tobacco material to a cigarette making machine, comprising tobacco delivery means adjacent said machine including a collector box having a discharge opening provided with a closure gravity biased to an open position, a suction source connected to said collector box for conveying tobacco material from a supply point to said box, said collector box being adapted to receive a tobacco laden'air stream from a supply point and separate the tobacco from the stream and periodically deliver it to the machine, duct means connecting said supply point to said collector box, valve means in said duct means adjacent said supply point arranged in one position to close a vent opening in said duct and in another position to close that portion of the duct directed to the supply point, said suction source being operable to feed material to said collector box when said valve means is in the position in which it closes said vent opening, feeler means in said collector box to sense the level of tobacco collecting therein, an electrical circuit, normally closed switch means in said circuit adapted to be operated by said feeler means to open said switch means and move said valve when the collector box material reaches a predetermined level, said switch means being operable to interrupt said circuit and move said valve means to a position in which said vent opening is uncoverednear said supply point and admit air to said duct, delay means operably connected to said feeler means, and another valve means operable after a predetermined time interval by said delay means to vent the collector box and admit air to said collector box between said box and said suction source whereby said closure will open by gravity and deliver tobacco to said machine after tobacco in transit in said duct from the supply point has reached said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,429 Berger Dec. 26, 1933' 2,140,128 Craggs Dec. 13', 1938 2,310,460 Randolf Feb. 9, 1943 2,572,862 Israel Oct. 30, 1951 2,688,517 Riordan Sept. 7, 1954' 

